“Annual Meeting: A Peculiar People”Text: I Peter 2:4-12At our Annual Meeting we give thanks to God for the year we have completed and we look forward into the future, anticipating what He might choose to do in and through us. Join us as we celebrate the God who is making “All Things New,” and hear…
“Easter: The Great Reversal” Text: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24On this Easter Sunday, Pastor Jon suggests that the truth of the matter is revealed to us on Good Friday…. all of creation is hushed on Black Saturday, holding its collective breath… and on Resurrection morning, Jesus breathes out this word: BUT. And the Great Reversal begins. Sins…
Lent (#6): “Not a Fan”Text: Mark 1:1-11On this Palm Sunday, Pastor Jon reminds us that Jesus doesn’t call us to be fans. He calls us to be followers. He calls us to be disciples. He calls us to make an unwavering commitment to follow Him wherever He goes… even to the cross.
Lent (#4): “Thou Shalt Not Whine”Text: Psalm 107Throughout the Old Testament wilderness narrative, we discover a community which grumbles, complains, and whines about their situation. In contrast, when we read the narrative of Jesus in the wilderness, we discover faithfulness and contentment. In the New Covenant Community, we ought to find Christ-followers who continually adopt…
Lent (#3): “Sweeter Than Honey”Text: Psalm 19C. S. Lewis calls this psalm, “the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world.” As we look at the Psalm, we consider that the primary reason God’s Word is “sweeter than honey” is because it reveals the nature and character of God. …
Lent (#2): “Praising in the Desert”Text: Psalm 22Possibly one of the most “schizophrenic” psalms in all of scripture, Psalm 22 reminds us that even in the midst of great suffering we are to praise God. David. Esther. Jesus. Each one an example of someone who might feel abandoned by God, and yet gives praise to…
Lent (#1): “Where God Isn’t”Text: Psalm 139If there are places on earth that seem particularly close to the heavens, then it is only reasonable to suggest that there may be places which seem particularly distant. And yet, as the Psalmist is quick to point out, even if we make our bed in the depths… God…
“On the Mountain”Text: Mark 2:2-9On this Transfiguration Sunday, we explore the idea of “thin places” on earth, where the realm of the Divine seems to intersect with the mundane in an extraordinary way. Unlike Peter, we must ignore the temptation to package up the experience, controlling and marketing it to others… but that when we…
“The Great Equalizer”Text: Mark 1:40-45Pastor Jon explores a couple of texts related to leprosy. We are reminded that God has the power to cleanse lepers… and to forgive us of our sins. The great equalizer is neither leprosy nor cancer, but the sin that so easy entangles us.
“The Good News of Repentance”Text: Mark 1:14-40Repent. It’s an important word in Christianity… but it’s a word that carries an awful lot of baggage… both inside and outside the Church. Pastor Jon attempts to get through the some of baggage, exploring how we might see the call to repentance as a call full of hope…